


Ink & Roses

by just_a_nerd



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, Felix Being a Dick, Friends to Lovers, Kissing in the Rain, Language of Flowers, Other, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2018-03-27
Packaged: 2019-02-12 19:51:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12967125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/just_a_nerd/pseuds/just_a_nerd
Summary: AU in which Felix works at a flower shop and Bridgette works at a tattoo parlor. Mature for language and possible mature themes.





	1. Chapter 1

Bridgette Cheng was a nice person. She had a sunny personality, and was often the optimist in any situation. Her trademark twin-tails often gave her a more girlish appearance, though the assistance of her natural innocence only served to enhance that opinion.

Needless to say, the last place anyone expected her to work was a tattoo shop.

It was a quaint little place, barely visible, but it thrived off of the raving reviews of its customers. Bridgette was a proud associate, sporting many invisible (or subtle) tattoos of her own.

She took great pride in her work, always trying to find the most realistic references for her pieces. So, naturally, when a customer came in looking for a generic rose tattoo, she ran across the street to the flower shop for a plant to base her drawing off of, despite the internet being at her capable fingertips.

She entered the flower shop, ready to shout a greeting to the usual man behind the counter, but was stopped short by the appearance of a new (and definitely attractive) new cashier.

"Um...hi. Is Monsieur Plagg here?" she asked timidly.

"No. But I am. And I'm sure both he and I would appreciate if you'd make your selections and get out," the cashier snapped without even looking up at her, and Bridgette winced at his harsh tone before complying. She selected a small bush of roses, all in various states of blooming and brought it to the front. When she sat the pot on the counter, the man finally looked up.

Felix, on the other hand, wasn't known for being a nice person. There were even rumors that suggested that he wasn't even a person at all, more like a robot. He was rude, brash, and maybe just a bit too aware of his superiority. His often slicked back hair and formal clothing only served to enhance that opinion.

He liked books and playing the piano, and now it seemed he could add botany to the list. He hadn't expected to get a job working for the (admittedly decent- once you knew him) Plagg, but he wound up finding it quite enjoyable. Taking care of plants required focus and precision, whoch Felix had lots of. He had developed a sort of science to it, really. Each plant was given a very specific amount of water, at a very specific time, on very specific days. There was no room for error.

But he also found it incredibly calming.

So he was sitting behind the counter with his most current book when the bell rang, signaling the arrival of a customer. He shot down the twinge of annoyance as he continued to read. Until the customer- a she, apparently- asked for Plagg. 

He didn't mean to snap at her. He really didn't. But on a good day, he came across as simply hostile at best, and today wasn't a good day. He had scared her off for sure, or, that's what he thought. But he was proved wrong when a small rose bush was slid into his view.

Felix finally looked up at the girl with a blank stare. She was pretty, he'd admit that, but he had been around many pretty girls in his time, so this wasn't new.

"Will this be all?" he asked in a bored tone.

"Yes," she said, handing him the money plus tax after he had rung her up. And then she left. Without a second thought, he picked up his book once again.

Bridgette exited the store and walked out onto the sidewalk. That boy was rude. She had never met anyone who had been so...lifeless? Cold? She couldn't even describe him. She turned to look back into the glass only to see the boy put down his book and look at his watch bwfore getting out a watering cancand a spray bottle, delicately attending to each flower.

She watched for a few minutes as he doted on the plants, a small smile playing on her features. So he wasn't heartless, just reserved. Interesting.

Felix was behind the counter reading once again when Plagg came in the shop. "Hey, Kid." he said gruffly.

"Plagg," Felix greeted without much feeling. The only thing that damn glutton could do was smirk.

"Ah, you're in one of those moods. I see. Well, you'll be happy to know that Tikki is doing well," Plagg said. And he was right.

Despite his dislike for people in general, Felix liked Tikki. She was the owner of the tattoo shop across the street, and she was kind, but not pushy, cheerful without being overbearing. The only thing about her that he really couldn't comprehend, was why she would marry someone like Plagg.

Tikki was a beautiful woman both inside and out, with multiple options. So why did she choose Plagg? He would never know.

With a sigh, he shut his book and gave Plagg his full attention as the man prattled on about something else that was simply wonderful that  Tikki had done.

 

Bridgette was sketching out a design when Tikki walked out from the back of the shop.

"Hello dear!" the woman chimed as Bridgette looked up.

"Hey Tikki," she greeted as she yawned.

"Oh, you should really sleep more," Tikki fretted as Bridgette laughed.

"I'm fine. How's Plagg?" she asked. Their love story had always fascinated Bridgette. Plagg had been a jerk- a total asshole before he met Tikki. And, most of the time, he still was. But Tikki...she had softened him. He was still sarcastic, and loud, and a total pig. But he was more open...and he had never looked at Tikki with anything less than pure love and adoration. Bridgette had always wanted someone to look at her the way Plagg looked at Tikki.

Until that man came along, however, she was perfectly content to listen to Tikki's stories of romance.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bridgette continued to go to the flower shop and visit Plagg, grateful that she never ran into the boy again.  
Well, until today.

"Hi Plagg!" she greeted the man cheerfully.

"Oh, hey Bri," he nodded towards her. "Is Tikki with you?"

"Not yet. She should be coming in later, though," she smiled as she walked over to help him move a flower pot.

"Good. I miss her," he said gruffly as he lifted the pot and moved it.  
"By the way, I just got a new guy. Have you met him?" Plagg asked.

"I'm not sure. But I came by one day when you weren't here, and the guy working seemed to hate me," she said.

"That would be him," Plagg chuckled. "He doesn't hate you. He's just...reserved."

"I resent that," Felix stepped out of the back room.

"Just stating facts, kid. This is that girl Bridgette I was telling you about, Tikki's apprentice," Plagg sat the pot down and dusted his hands off.

"Ah. I remember you." Was all Felix said as he took out another book.

Tikki chose this moment to come in, running immediately to embrace Plagg, who kissed her softly on the head.

"I missed you, darling," he murmured, which caused her to giggle. Bridgette observed that same softness and affection in his eyes that never wavered so long as Tikki was with him.

"They're good together," Bridgette whispered to Felix.

"Hmmph," was all he offered as a reply, though he secretly agreed.

Bridgette soghed before waving goodbye to all of them and exiting the shop, heading across the street once again. Felix was rude, and blunt, and sullen, but there was something that made her think that perhaps that wasn't all he was. She would just have to see.

Felix watched Bridgette head back to the tattoo shop, and his brows furrowed slightly. She didn't seem put off by his rudeness. And she also didn't seem completely unbearable. Maybe he could deal with her, especially if she was anything like Tikki, which Plagg had assured him that she was. Hmmm. He would just have to see.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, Felix has emotions. Who knew?

Over the next few weeks, Bridgette returned to the flower shop multiple times for various reasons. To see Plagg, to buy flowers, or to just hang out. This also meant, however, that she was seeing a lot more of Felix. And to her dismay, he wasn't getting any better. 

On Monday, she stopped in and helped Plagg with unloading the new flower deliveries. When she saw Felix, she said hi. He didn't respond. She sighed before turning back to Plagg. She said goodbye to Felix before she left.  
He didn't respond. 

On Tuesday she came back with Tikki during closing time. While Plagg and Tikki were spending some time together, Bridgette walked over to Felix. 

"Hi," she said for the second time that week. He looked up at her strangely. 

"Hello," he responded roughly. It wasn't much, if she was being honest. But it was something. 

So she decided to keep it going, talking animatedly about anything and everything. 

Felix wasn't annoyed by her chattering per say, he may have even been a little amused by it. But as it stood, he had a job to do and this 'Bridgette' girl was only getting in the way of that. She was nice though, he'd give her that. Maybe he'd be nice (well, as nice as he could muster, anyways) and not bite her head off while telling her to leave. 

"Your presence is an annoyance. I have a job, and I'd appreciate it if you would leave so that I may proceed with it."

Ooooor not. Eh, Felix wasn't known for being nice anyways. Really, what did she expect?

Bridgette was offended by his words, yes, but it wasn't as snippy as their first meeting. He seemed to want to be nicer, to her, at least. So, she smiled brightly up at him. 

"Okay! I'll leave you to close up! Have a nice night, Felix!" Bridgette chirped, bouncing away towards Tikki, who was going to walk her home. 

And so it went. 

Bridgette was coming in more frequently for several more weeks after that. She was extremely chatty towards Felix in particular and it puzzled said boy immensely because he had done nothing to encourage or mislead her about their relationship. 

So why- why- was she still hovering around him? It was an unanswerable question for both parties involved. 

One day- a Tuesday- Felix decided to call her out on her odd behavior. 

"Miss Cheng...why do you insist on bothering me? You have nothing to gain from being here, and whatever attempts you have made to engage me in one of your activities have consistently failed. So, pray tell, why do you continue?" he gave her his usual bored look, though curiosity burned deep in his eyes, should anyone care to look (which, of course, Bridgette did.)

"Because you're not as much of an asshole as I previously thought," she shrugged. Felix opened his mout to object, but she quickly silenced him. "I said 'not as much.' You're still an asshole, Felix," she grinned. Despite himself, there was the tiniest twitch at the corners of Felix's lips as he responded. 

"You act as though you're not unbearably chatty and blindingly optimistic," he deadpanned. 

"That may be true," she conceded with a small giggle. "But no one really seems to mind."

"No...I suppose they wouldn't," he sighed, though a small part of his brain noted that though Bridgette could be quite vexing at times, he didn't necessarily mind either. 

"Hey, at least I have emotions...y'know, aside from being done with everyone else's existence," Bridgette teased lightly, bringing him out of his own head to snap back with a retort immediately. 

"At least my hairstyle isn't that of a five year old." Bridgette looked mock offended while Felix simply smirked. 

"Well I'm not the one using enough hair gel to fill a bathtub."

"Touche."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night, as Felix lay awake, he considered the end of his day with great confusion and some weird indescribable feeling settled in both his brain and his stomach. 

The last few hours of his shift had passed oddly fast with playful banter being shot back and forth with Bridgette, and he had...admittedly loosened up just slightly, though it wasn't quite so distinguishable on the outside. 

Regardless, his feelings about Bridgette Cheng had changed significantly from the beginning of the day to the end and he had no idea how to deal with it.


End file.
